The goal of our PhD program is to train graduate students to become research mathematicians. Each year, an average of five students complete their theses and go on to exciting careers in mathematics both inside and outside of academia.

Faculty research interests in the Johns Hopkins University Department of Mathematics are concentrated in several areas of pure mathematics, including analysis and geometric analysis, algebraic geometry and number theory, differential geometry, algebraic topology, category theory, and mathematical physics. The department also has an active group in data science, in collaboration with the Applied Math Department.

The Department values diversity among its members, is committed to building a diverse intellectual community, and strongly encourages applications from all interested parties.

A brief overview of our graduate program is below. For more detailed information, please use the drop down menu above.

Program Overview

All students admitted to the PhD program receive support that includes a stipend, full tuition, and additional benefits. Students making satisfactory progress are guaranteed this support for five years. A sixth year of support is generally possible for students who are on track to complete their Ph.D. and would benefit from the additional year. Ph.D. students at JHU are unionized, and their stipends and benefits are specified in the union’s collective bargaining agreement; here is a summary.

PhD candidates take two or three courses per semester over the first several years of the program. These are a mix of required and intermediate-level graduate courses, independent studies, and special topics classes offered by our faculty.

By the beginning of their second year, students are asked to demonstrate competency in algebra and in analysis by passing written qualifying exams in these two broad areas. Students are then expected to choose an advisor, who will supervise their dissertation and also administer an oral qualifying exam to be taken in the second or third year. More specifics about all these requirements are described on the requirements page.

All graduate students are invited to attend weekly research seminars in a variety of topic areas as well as regular department teas and a weekly wine and cheese gathering attended by many junior and senior members of the department. A graduate student lunch seminar series provides an opportunity for our students to practice their presentation skills to a general audience.

Teaching experience is regarded as an important part of the graduate program, and graduate students are required to teach during their program, most frequently as a teaching assistant for undergraduate courses. First-year students are exempted from TAing, in preparation for the qualifying exams, and each student at the dissertation-writing stage is offered an additional semester free of teaching.

Each student receives a travel allowance to enable them to attend conferences for which limited funding is available, or to visit researchers at other institutions.